Striker assembly for projecting game elements



June 22, 1965 o. KARTHAUS 3,190,653

STRIKER ASSEMBLY FOR PROJECTING GAME ELEMENTS Filed 001;. 29, 1962 6 FIG. 7 8

HANDLE LIFTED UP NEUTRAL I HANDLE PUSHED DOWN INK/EN r012. K44 77/405,

ATTOEA/EX United States Patent ()filice 3,196,653 Patented June 22, 1965 3,190,653 STRIKER ASSEMBLY FUR PROJECTING GAME ELEMENTS Gtto Karthaus, Apt. 28, 40 'Clearview Heights,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 233,656 Claims priority, application Canada, Nov. 8, 1961, 835,561, Patent 648,654

3 Claims. (Ci. 27387.4)

This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and is more particularly concerned with a novel operatorcontrolled game piece striker assembly and games played therewith, wherein a particular stroke is required in the actual game.

In games such as ice hockey, field hockey, golf, etc., the stroke accomplished by the participants in the game generally passes through a single horizontal plane or through two planes simultaneously. Another way to state this is that the stick or striker means, such as a golf club or hockey stick, is brought around in a horizontal plane or downwardly by the player at the same time the player is pivoting in a horizontal plane, thus the golf club, for example, moves in a compound plane. However, if the game requires a flat swing, the striker means can be moved in a single plane.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel striker assembly movable in a horizontal plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel operator-controlled game piece striker assembly including portions which permit the operator to accomplish a compound stroke simulating the actual stroke accomplished in the sport being simulated.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel striker assembly which includes mechanical means whereby a striker portion of a novel striker assembly is caused to move in a novel compound plane to simulate the actual stroke of the sport being simulated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein exemplary embodiments of the invention are disclosed.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of the novel striker assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the striker assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the various components utilized to make up the striker assembly of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the novel striker assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the embodiment of the striker assembly shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 6-8 are diagrammatic views respectively illustrating the manner in which the striker of the novel striker assemblies of FIGURES 1-5 moves when the manipulating mechanisms of the striker assemblies are operated.

The novel striker assemblies to be subsequently described, may be placed at random by players who are protecting the respective goals according to the rules of hockey, and will be attempting to score or position a puck simulating that actually used in the game of hockey within an opponents goal. During the play of the game, depending upon the size of the game board, generally there will just be two participants in the game. However, it is readily feasible that more than two individuals can si multaneously play the game, for example, if there are two people on each opposing side.

Referring to FIGURES 13, the novel striker assembly is indicated generally at 100. This type of striker assbembly may be disposed at random positions on a game oard.

The striker assembly includes a base or support element 102 which has fixedly secured thereto a vertically extending circularly cross-sectioned support or bearing shaft 104 terminating in an upper finger receiving ring 106. Reciprocally supported on the shaft 164 is a tubular sleeve 108 which preferably has a rectangular cross-section, i.e., being formed as a square element on its outer surface. Secured to the top of the tubular sleeve 108 is an undercut, knurled finger grip portion 110 to be grasped between the thumb and middle finger of a person utilizing the striker assembly. The sleeve 1% includes an intermediate annular groove 112 upon which is secured in any suitable manner a split ring 114 having extending radially therefrom one end of an L-shaped lever 116 having a terminal end 118.

A mounting bracket or the like is formed from sheet metal or the like, including a front portion 120, a lower laterally projecting portion 122 which has a transverse aperture 124 therethrough to be journalled on the lower end of shaft 1434. Portion 126 has projection in overlying relationship with respect to the portion 122, an upper portion 126 having an elongated slot 128 therethrough which is disposed adjacent a rectangularly conformed aperture 131). Portion has struck therefrom a transversely slotted lug element 132 through which the lower free end 134 of a leaf spring 136 will extend. The leaf spring 136 will be secured at 138 to a rearwardly projecting, L-shaped bracket element 140 fixed to the rear surface of an oscillatable, simulated upper portion of a player, indicated generally at P. A plate element 142 includes a transverse central aperture 144 through which extends a bifurcated rivet element 146. The rivet element 146 extends through the simulated upper portion of a player P; see FIGURES 1 and 2, i.e., through aperture 144, and extends through a suitable aperture (not shown) in the front portion 120 of the mounting bracket; see FIGURE 2, and is bifurcated to engage on opposite sides of an intermediate portion of leaf spring 136. The plate element 142 includes a lost-motion slot 148 receiving therein the end 118 of the lever 116.

The lower support portion 122 of the mounting bracket is disposed on the lower end of shaft 104, as seen in FIGURE 2, and the sleeve 108 extends through the square aperture 131). The rivet 146, as previously mentioned, extends through the hole 144 and engages on opposite sides of the leaf spring 136, which is anchored at its upper end to the L-shaped bracket 146. The spring 136 extends downwardly through slot 128, the bifurcated end of rivet 146 and through the slotted lug element 132 and which arrangement tends to maintain the part in the neutral position illustrated diagrammatically in FIG- URE 7.

When the sleeve 1% is vertically reciprocated, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURES 6-8, the lever portion 118 will cause the simulated upper portion of the player P to oscillate about the rivet 146 to cause an arcuate movement of the portion 142, as illustrated in the above mentioned diagrammatic figures.

The portion 142 has projecting forwardly therefrom a simulated hockey stick 1% terminating in a lower striker portion 152 disposed substantially adjacent a plane passing through the lower surface of the support element 1112. As the element 142 is oscillated about the rivet 146, the simulated stick 150 will be moved in a vertical plane. Simultaneously, the finger grip portion 110 can be manually rotated in a horizontal plane about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 104 and thus a compound 3 movement is afforded by the embodiment of FIGURES 13.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, there is disclosed a simplified embodiment functioning in a manner similar to that previously described with respect to FIGURES 1-3. In this embodiment, the diagrammatic views of FIGURES 6-8 illustrate the movement accomplished by the upper portion 142 simulating a golfer who has extending from the simulated arm portion 143 a golf stick including a head portion 152.

The assembly of FIGURES 4 and 5 is indicated generally at 200, and comprises a support base 202, a support shaft 264, and a finger receiving portion 2%.

Reciprocably mounted on the support shaft 2% is the lower figure portion 229 which is notched out, as indicated at 221, to abuttingly engage the lower end of a coil spring 223. Engaging the upper end of the spring 223 is an undercut, externally knurled finger engaging portion 210 which is engaged at its upper surface by coil spring 225, the upper end of the coil spring abuttingly engaging the finger receiving portion 296. The springs 223, 225 maintain the finger engaging portion 210 in a normally fixed position. However, the finger engaging portion 219 may be reciprocated vertically as Well as rotated about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 204. The portion 142' simulating the shoulders and arms of a golfer is pivotally connected at 246 to the portion 221 simulating the lower portion of the golfer. he finger gripping portion 219 includes a laterally or radially projecting support element 240 which has pivotally secured thereto a depending link 242. The link 242 includes a forwardly extending portion 244 received in an aperture 248 formed in the rear surface of the portion 142' of the striker assembly. The upper portion 142 will move through the diagrammatically illustrated oscillation in a vertical plane seen in FIGURES 6-8 and shown in FIGURE 4 by means of an arcuate line and radial lines extending from the mounting shaft 246. Simultaneously, as the finger grip portion 210 is vertically reciprocated to obtain the movementin the vertical plane, the simulated golfer is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the support shaft or bearing 204 to thus obtain the compound movement involved in a simulated or a corresponding actual golf swing.

Thus there has been disclosed a novel game utilizing striker assemblies simulating the actual stroke performed in the game, and optionally positionable by the players of the game. Still further, there have been disclosed two different embodiments of a novel striker assembly wherein a simulated swing is performed which is substantially identical with that performed by a participant in the actual sport.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that variations in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be accomplished and readily recognized as possible by those skilled in the art, and the invention is intended to cover all such arrangements and departures as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A physically-controlled, physically-supported and physically-manipulated striker assembly for simulating the movements of the club or stick of a game such as golf or hockey or the like, comprising;

detached support means for engagement on and physical movement over a horizontal game board surface; bearing means on said support means;

.said bearing means comprising a vertically extend ing shaft terminating at the uppermost portion of said assembly; and

an operator-controlled-and manipulated striker means on said shaft;

said striker means comprising a sleeve journaled on said shaft and freely rotatable thereon in a horizontal plane by manipulation of and physical engagement by a users fingers;

said striker means comprising a lower, laterally projecting portion movable in said horizontal plane with rotation of said sleeve for striking a game element,

said sleeve being vertically, displaceably mounted on said vertically extending shaft,

said support means comprising a base element having a lower planar surface,

said striker means including a surface on said laterally projecting portion in substantially coplanar relation with the lower planar surface of said base element;

said vertically extending shaft including an uppermost, finger-receiving portion extending transversely of said vertical shaft at the upper terminal end thereof, said striker means including a lower mounting portion secured to said sleeve for rotation therewith on said vertically extending shaft, an upper body portion journaled on said lower mounting portion on a pivotal axis normal to said vertically extending shaft, said upper body portion including said lower, laterally projecting portion of said striker means, and

force-transmitting cam means on said upper body portion, means engaged between said cam means and said sleeve for pivoting said upper body portion with respect to said lower body portion when said sleeve is reciprocatcd on said shaft.

2. The structure of claim I; and resilient means extending between said lower mounting and upper body portions for normally maintaining the portions in a predetermined oriented position.

3. The structure of claim 1; and spring means disposed on said shaft above and below said sleeve for maintaining said sleeve in a predetermined position on said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,552,536 9/25 Blevins et al 27387.4 1,570,422 1/26 Adams 27387.2 1,657,388 1/28 Gorman 27387.4 2,513,198 6/50 Munro 273-87 X 2,903,264 9/59 Munro et a1 273 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,948 1914 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PHYSICALLY-CONTROLLED, PHYSICALLY-SUPPORTED AND PHYSICALLY-MANIPULATED STRIKER ASSEMBLY FOR SIMULATING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE CLUB OR STICK OF A GAME SUCH AS GOLF OR HOCKEY OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING: DETACHED SUPPORT MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT ON AND PHYSICAL MOVEMENT OVER A HORIZONTAL GAME BOARD SURFACE; BEARING MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS; SAID BEARING MEANS COMPRISING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT TERMINATING AT THE UPPERMOST PORTION OF SAID ASSEMBLY; AND AN OPERATOR-CONTROLLED-AND MANIPULATED STRIKER MEANS ON SAID SHAFT; SAID STRIKER MEANS COMPRISING A SLEEVE JOURNALED ON SAID SHAFT AND FREELY ROTATABLE THEREON IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE BY MANIPULATION OF AND PHYSICAL ENGAGEMENT BY A USER''S FINGERS; SAID STRIKER MEANS COMPRISING A LOWER, LATERALLY PROJECTING PORTION MOVABLE IN SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE WITH ROTATION OF SAID SLEEVE FOR STRIKING A GAME ELEMENT, SAID SLEEVE BEING VERTICALLY, DISPLACEABLY MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT, SAID SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A BASE ELEMENT HAVING A LOWER PLANAR SURFACE, SAID STRIKER MEANS INCLUDING A SURFACE ON SAID LATERALLY PROJECTING PORTION IN SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR RELATION WITH THE LOWER PLANER SURFACE OF SAID BASE ELEMENT; SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT INCLUDING AN UPPERMOST, FINGER-RECEIVING PORTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID VERTICAL SHAFT AT THE UPPER TERMINAL END THEREOF, SAID STRIKER MEANS INCLUDING A LOWER MOUNTING PORTION SECURED TO SAID SLEEVE FOR ROTATION, THEREWITH ON SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT, AN UPPER BODY PORTION JOURNALED ON SAID LOWER MOUNTING PORTION ON A PIVOTAL AXIS NORMAL TO SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT, SAID UPPER BODY PORTION INCLUDING SAID LOWER, LATERALLY PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID STRIKER MEANS, AND FORCE-TRANSMISSION CAM MEANS ON SAID UPPER BODY PORTION, MEANS ENGAGED FOR PIVOTING SAID UPPER BODY AND SAID SLEEVE FOR PIVOTING SAID UPPER BODY PORTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOWER BODY PORTION WHEN SAID SLEEVE IS RECIPROCATED ON SAID SHAFT. 